ALLEGAN, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Two Allegan County men are being charged with killing their 82-year-old grandfather.
William Fitzhugh died in December 2021 after being hospitalized since October for broken limbs and malnourishment.
Allegan County prosecutors filed murder charges against 27-year-old Christopher Fitzhugh and 24-year old Cory Nethery.
An autopsy released Wednesday showed Fitzhugh died from a combination of recent injuries, malnourishment, and neglect.
Allegan County Magistrate Daniel Norbeck ordered Nethery to undergo a psychiatric evaluation during his arraignment Thursday.
WWMT-TV reports Christopher Fitzhugh’s arraignment was pushed back until Friday after deputies he caused a disturbance in his jail cell prior to Thursday’s arraignment.
Both men were initially charged in November with two counts of first and second degree vulnerable adult abuse and one count of embezzlement between $1,000 and $20,000.
Court records show William Fitzhugh told investigators his grandsons beat him to the ground to take his money for drugs on multiple occasions. Fitzhugh had a broken hip, multiple broken ribs, a broken nose, and a collapsed lung when he was admitted to the hospital.
Family members told the TV station they complained to Allegan County Sheriff’s Office and Adult Protective Services numerous times about alleged abuse and neglect instances since 2018.
